The murder of Jennifer Alfonso
This chapter analyses the murder of Jennifer Alfonso by her husband Derek Medina in Florida on August 8, 2013. Jennifer's murder was what criminologists call an intimate partner homicide (IPH). International media reports of the case followed a well-established pattern that devalued IPH, treating the homicide as a one-off event where an otherwise ‘normal’ perpetrator ‘snaps’ and loses control in a moment of madness. The fact that Derek had posted on Facebook was at the very the centre of the story, if not the story itself. The chapter first describes the background of Derek and Jennifer's relationship, Derek's media practices, and his attempt at identity management after his arrest before examining his Facebook homicide confession. It also contextualises the murder in relation to the relevant literature on intimate partner abuse and IPH.